SC to UP: Why ex-CMs still in govt houses?
The Supreme Court on Tuesday questioned the urban development ministry on why former chief ministers of Uttar Pradesh had not vacated the government bungalows allotted to them.
A Bench of Justices Dipak Misra, A. M. Kanwilkar and M. M. Shantanagouder issued a notice to the director of estates, urban development ministry, seeking a response on a contempt petition filed by Lok Prahari, an NGO, through Satya Narain Shukla, pointing out that former CMs had not vacated the accommodations, despite an order in August 2016 asking them to leave in two months.
The court in August 2016 allowed a petition by the NGO in 2004. The petition challenged the provisions of a UP legislation and rules providing for allotment of accommodations to former CMs, including N. D. Tiwari, Mayawati, Mulayam Singh Yadav and Kalyan Singh.
The bench had directed all the former CMs to vacate the government accommodations within two months and to pay market rent from the day they demit office.
The NGO said that
several former CMs occupied government bungalows of Type VI even after demitting office for years without any right to retain the same.
Pointing out that the apex court judgment had not been complied with by the former CMs, the NGO filed the present contempt petition seeking action against them.